Chapter 48 Isidora

• Ariana felt upset? Certainly. When she tried to change her mind about accepting Gerald and this marriage, another surprising fact confronted her. Her mother-in-law did not want her there. From the beginning, the woman had approached Ariana only to ask for help so that their family wouldn't be embarrassed if her son's marriage failed. She was cut from the same cloth as Mrs. Caitlyn. Perhaps that's why the two of them could be friends.
• After Axel's words in the room, Ariana found her mother-in-law sitting casually in the dining room. The woman asked her to sit down and talk face-to-face. "Do you know if your twin sister has returned?" she asked without beating around the bush. Ariana wasn't really surprised. Hearing what the woman had said to Axel, her mother-in-law must have communicated well with Mrs. Caitlyn, so she knew when Karenina would be back. Ariana was reluctant to answer the question; she would let the woman say whatever she wanted to say. "I just want to thank you because you helped Gerald with this fake marriage. In return, I will compensate you for all the time you've given to us." The woman then handed a check with nine zeros to Ariana.
• Amazed? Of course, Ariana was amazed. She wasn't a hypocritical girl who would refuse money. Haven't they been belittled all along, and her father even abandoned them because of those figures? "Is this all my sacrifices are worth? I think it's too small to compensate for the shame you'll have to bear if Gerald's marriage to my twin sister fails," Ariana challenged. "You should at least give me twelve zeros there." She pointed to the small slip. The woman was clearly shocked. "Why? Is your bank account balance not enough? If so, ask Gerald to increase it," she said mockingly. "Don't forget that there's Mrs. Caitlyn's blood in my veins. If she can leave her husband and child for money, then I can do the same."